York’s squash teams falter on disappointing afternoon

York mens firsts 2 – Sheffield 3

York mens seconds 0 –  Durham 3

York ladies firsts 2 – Durham 2

Despite York’s three squash teams all playing at home in their BUCS fixtures this week, Wednesday proved a day of despair with none being able to capitalise upon their home advantage.

Calum Fraser’s first team were beaten after the first three clashes of their tie, with Tom Lee, Matt Brennan and Matt Johnson all going down to their Sheffield opponents. It fell to the captain and the side’s Somerset talisman, Paul Atkinson, to salvage some pride for the team with two well-earned victories.

Fraser, however, remained proud of his team after a tough day on court. “A couple of players weren’t feeling great before the tie but the side showed plenty of endeavour,” he said. “But Sheffield proved their mettle from the start and were well worth their win.”

It was a similar story for the men’s seconds, who went down in valiant style against their Durham opponents. Despite some at times extraordinary shot-making, Tom Armstrong did not have enough to challenge the consistency of his opponent, while Alex Leigh and Will Wainewright both failed to take more than a game from their matches.

Only Ciara Wilder’s ladies could salvage some pride for York on a disappointing afternoon, with wins for Charlotte Gregory and Hannah Sisman forcing a draw against their Durham opponents.